区域生态学的特点、学科定位及其与相邻学科的关系

区域生态学作为生态学的一门重要分支学科,起源于20世纪70年代的区域综合科学考察和环境污染调查,旨在研究区域生态环境问题形成背景和驱动因子,探讨区域生态环境问题解决的思路和方法。基于前人研究成果和文献综述,系统分析了区域生态学研究的特点,剖析了区域生态学的性质和学科定位。在此基础上进一步比较了区域生态学与景观生态学、生态系统生态学、区域自然地理学和宏观生态学的共性与差异。认为:(1)区域生态学研究对象是具有特定生态环境属性的区域生态综合体,既具有特定要素主导下的空间均质性,也具有多种要素耦合作用下的空间异质性特征,是一门问题导向的应用性基础学科;(2)区域生态学研究需要具有多元综合、问题导向和系统集成的思维,从多层次、多视角探讨区域生态环境问题的解决方案;(3)区域生态学属于宏观生态学研究的范畴,处于分子生态学、个体生态学、种群生态学、群落生态学、生态系统生态学、景观生态学、区域生态学和全球生态学这个生态学学科体系的较高层次。     

Function in ecology: an organizational approach

Functional language is ubiquitous in ecology, mainly in the researches about biodiversity and ecosystem function. However, it has not been adequately investigated by ecologists or philosophers of ecology. In the contemporary philosophy of ecology we can recognize a kind of implicit consensus about this issue: while the etiological approaches cannot offer a good concept of function in ecology, Cummins’ systemic approach can. Here we propose to go beyond this implicit consensus, because we think these approaches are not adequate for ecology. We argue that a sound epistemological framework to function in ecology is to be found in organizational approaches. In this line, we define function in ecology as a precise effect of a given constraint on the ecosystem flow of matter and energy performed by a given item of biodiversity, within a closure of constraints. We elaborate on this definition by developing a case study of a bromeliad ecosystem.     

A tale of four stories: soil ecology, theory, evolution and the publication system

Background

Soil ecology has produced a huge corpus of results on relations between soil organisms, ecosystem processes controlled by these organisms and links between belowground and aboveground processes. However, some soil scientists think that soil ecology is short of modelling and evolutionary approaches and has developed too independently from general ecology. We have tested quantitatively these hypotheses through a bibliographic study (about 23000 articles) comparing soil ecology journals, generalist ecology journals, evolutionary ecology journals and theoretical ecology journals.

Findings

We have shown that soil ecology is not well represented in generalist ecology journals and that soil ecologists poorly use modelling and evolutionary approaches. Moreover, the articles published by a typical soil ecology journal (Soil Biology and Biochemistry) are cited by and cite low percentages of articles published in generalist ecology journals, evolutionary ecology journals and theoretical ecology journals.

Conclusion

This confirms our hypotheses and suggests that soil ecology would benefit from an effort towards modelling and evolutionary approaches. This effort should promote the building of a general conceptual framework for soil ecology and bridges between soil ecology and general ecology. We give some historical reasons for the parsimonious use of modelling and evolutionary approaches by soil ecologists. We finally suggest that a publication system that classifies journals according to their Impact Factors and their level of generality is probably inadequate to integrate “particularity” (empirical observations) and “generality” (general theories), which is the goal of all natural sciences. Such a system might also be particularly detrimental to the development of a science such as ecology that is intrinsically multidisciplinary.     

Research on fish ecology in Japan: a brief history and selected review

Fish play an important role in the culture of Japan, supplying the primary source of food protein. Research on fish ecology in Japan began developing about 1955, and paralleled that in North America and Europe, but has a number of unique differences. Two main research foci, stream fish ecology and ecology of Lake Biwa, were founded by H. Kawanabe and his colleagues while graduate students in D. Miyadi's laboratory at Kyoto University in the 1950s. The focus on studies of individual differences in ecology, life history, and behavior by direct observation that were developed in this laboratory had a pervasive influence on research that has continued to the present. In the 1980s, Kawanabe, who had succeeded Miyadi as laboratory head, also co-organized a major research project on the complex communities of cichlid fishes in Lake Tanganyika, which has involved nearly every major Japanese investigator in fish ecology since. A review of research conducted by Japanese investigators in stream fish ecology, ecology of fishes in lakes Biwa and Tanganyika, and marine reef fish ecology revealed a wealth of literature of which most English-speaking fish ecologists are unaware. The most striking difference between Western and Japanese research is the focus on detailed observations and experiments in natural habitats of individual differences in behavior, life history, and ecology, and how these ultimately affect processes at the population and community level, as amply demonstrated by Kawanabe's early work on ayu, Plecoglossus altivelis. This approach predated by 20–30 years the current interest in individual differences and individual-based models in North America and Europe.     

流域生态学的发展困境——来自河流景观的启示

随着中国生态环境问题越来越多地呈现出流域特性,流域生态研究的重要性和紧迫性也日渐凸显。整合流域生态研究,形成一个有效的研究体系,流域生态学迄今未能予以实现。通过对"流域生态学"和"河流景观"这两个相近概念提出过程的比较研究,探讨流域生态学发展困境产生的原因,为流域生态研究体系的构建提供思路。分析结果显示流域生态学目前主要存在两个不足:1)因为提出流域生态学概念的关键现实需求不明确,导致难以确定其核心科学问题;2)因为没有相应的流域生态系统概念模型,进而也就难以带动相关研究落实跟进。要推进流域生态学的发展,第一步要做的就是明确流域生态研究体系构建的核心现实需求,并对流域生态系统进行一个概念模型上的相应设计。     

景观生态—一种综合整体思想的发展

本文对景观生态的提出、发展及目前几个主要学派的观点进行了仔细分析,认为景观生态兴起反映了人们的心理状态,同时正是由于其“双向”研究的观点,使其具备了综合学科的特征。然而目前景观生态首先是一种综合整体思想,如果作为一门学科,其研究范畴应在基本的生态系统到区域之间。     

城市森林生态学的基本理论与研究方法

随着世界经济的发展和城市人口的增加,城市环境问题严重阻碍了城市可持续发展,形成了城市森林生态学这一新学科,森林生态学,景观生态学,园林学和人类生态学4种学科的相关理论相互融合构成了城市森林生态学的理论基础,城市森林生态学的形成使人们从生态系统的角度审视城市的发展,并把生物环境即人类及所有植物和动物的群体视为这个系统的一个要素,引出了“城市森林”的概念,本文较系统地介绍了城市森林生态学的基本概念,主要研究内容。理论基础及基本原理,研究方法及其发展展望。     

我国土壤线虫生态学研究进展和展望

土壤线虫生态学主要探讨土壤线虫群落和其周围环境(包括生物和非生物)的相互关系, 包括不同生态系统中土壤线虫群落的分布和结构组成、线虫群落与土壤环境及其他土壤生物之间的相互作用等。本文回顾了我国研究者近年来在土壤线虫生态学研究领域的研究现状, 包括不同生态系统土壤线虫群落的分布、组成和多样性及其影响因素, 土壤线虫群落与全球气候环境变化的关系, 土壤线虫群落的生态功能以及土壤线虫群落生态学分析方法的发展及应用。重点评述近年来我国土壤线虫生态学的发展现状, 同时分析和比较了国内外土壤线虫生态学的发展态势, 提出建设全国范围的监测网络的重要性。未来我国土壤线虫生态学的发展方向应继续加强小尺度下土壤微食物网联通性和大尺度下全球气候变化对土壤线虫群落影响的研究以及加强相关新的研究技术方法的应用。     

转型期城市生态学前沿研究进展

城市是一类以人类活动为中心听社会－经济－自然复合生态系统。城市人类活动对局地、区域和全球环境的胁迫效应,自然生态系统的响应机制,城市时、空、量、构、序的耦合规律、动力学机制和控制论方法是当前国际社会和学术界关注的热点。介绍了转型期城市人类生态影响研究的一些主要国际科学计划,如ＳＣＯＰＥ及ＩＨＤＰ等,综述了城市生态学研究三大前沿领域的国际研究动向和案例,即人居生态学、产业生态学和城镇生命支持系统生态     

What is dental ecology?

Teeth have long been used as indicators of primate ecology. Early work focused on the links between dental morphology, diet, and behavior, with more recent years emphasizing dental wear, microstructure, development, and biogeochemistry, to understand primate ecology. Our study of Lemur catta at the Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve, Madagascar, has revealed an unusual pattern of severe tooth wear and frequent tooth loss, primarily the result of consuming a fallback food for which these primates are not dentally adapted. Interpreting these data was only possible by combining our areas of expertise (dental anatomy [FC] and primate ecology [MS]). By integrating theoretical, methodological, and applied aspects of both areas of research, we adopted the term "dental ecology"-defined as the broad study of how teeth respond to the environment. Specifically, we view dental ecology as an interpretive framework using teeth as a vehicle for understanding an organism's ecology, which builds upon earlier work, but creates a new synthesis of anatomy and ecology that is only possible with detailed knowledge of living primates. This framework includes (1) identifying patterns of dental pathology and tooth use-wear, within the context of feeding ecology, behavior, habitat variation, and anthropogenic change, (2) assessing ways in which dental development and biogeochemical signals can reflect habitat, environmental change and/or stress, and (3) how dental microstructure and macro-morphology are adapted to, and reflect feeding ecology. Here we define dental ecology, provide a short summary of the development of this perspective, and place our new work into this context.     

Parasites as predators: unifying natural enemy ecology

Parasitism and predation have long been considered analogous interactions. Yet by and large, ecologists continue to study parasite-host and predator-prey ecology separately. Here we discuss strengths and shortcomings of the parasite-as-predator analogy and its potential to provide new insights into both fields. Developments in predator-prey ecology, such as temporal risk allocation and associational resistance, can drive new hypotheses for parasite-host systems. Concepts developed in parasite-host ecology, such as threshold host densities and phylodynamics, might provide new ideas for predator-prey ecology. Topics such as trait-mediated indirect effects and enemy-mediated facilitation provide opportunities for the two fields to work together. We suggest that greater unification of predator-prey and parasite-host ecology would foster advances in both fields.     

农牧交错带研究进展

农牧交错带是典型的生态脆弱区、贫困区和多民族聚居区,是我国生态安全的重要屏障.综述了农牧交错带发展的历史演变过程,分析了当前农牧交错带农牧业生产所面临的主要问题,建议今后对农牧交错带的研究应集中在以生态学为基础的跨学科研究;其热点领域应集中在农牧交错带生产力生态学、恢复生态学、界面生态学、放牧生态学,农牧交错带的健康诊断和价值评估等方面.其中生产力生态学是提高生产效率的保证,应加强农牧交错带农田草地系统耦合生产方式的研究;恢复生态学是治理退化农牧交错带的基础;界面生态学是剖析退化农牧交错带的切入点;放牧生态学是调控农牧交错带农田草地退化的手段;健康诊断有助于对农牧交错带进行客观的评价;价值评估则是对农牧交错带生态系统效益和服务的估算.     

流域生态学——新学科,新思想,新途径

在评述流域生态学定义、来源及有关认识的基础上,论述了流域生态学作为一门学科的意义和主要研究内容．文章认为流域生态学的研究与应用是流域社会、经济可持续发展的有效途径,有必要尽快地系统开展相关研究     

流域生态学——新学科、新思想、新途径

在评述流域生态学定义、来源及有关认识的基础上,论述了流域生态学作为一门学科的意义和主要研究内容。文章认为流域生态学的研究与应用是流域社会、经济可持续发展的有效途径,有必要尽快地系统开展相关研究     

恢复生态学焦点问题

就恢复生态学的概念、近期的发展趋势与前沿命题、传统生态学理论在生态恢复过程中的应用及恢复生态学的社会性等核心问题展开论述。恢复生态学是一门年轻的学科,迄今尚无统一的定义。代表性的有3方面的学术观点。第1种强调受损的生态系统要恢复到理想的状态;第2种强调其应用生态学过程;第3种强调生态整合性恢复。笔者认为,恢复生态学是研究生态系统退化的原因、退化生态系统恢复与重建的技术与方法、过程与机理的科学。从近年的国际恢复生态学大会来看,恢复生态学研究近期主要有3个方面的发展趋势。一是强调自然恢复与社会、人文的耦合。认为恢复生态是全球性的,不只是自然的过程,应有全社会的支持,包括政治、经济和人文的介入。二是强调无论是在地域上还是在理论上都要跨越边界。有效的生态恢复实践在地域上要求多地区甚至是多国家的合作,在理论上要求多学科的交叉与耦合。三是强调以生态系统为基点,在景观尺度表达。随着环境和经济问题的全球化,生态系统和景观尺度的恢复生态学研究引起了越来越多的关注。2004年第15届国际恢复生态学大会的会议主题已定为：恢复、景观与设计。在当前研究趋势的基础上,提出了恢复生态学当前研究的6个前沿命题：恢复生态学的学科理论框架研究、恢复生态系统的功益研究、生物多样性在生态恢复中的作用研究、生态恢复对全球变化的响应研究、生态恢复立法研究和生态恢复与社会、经济的整合性研究。退化生态系统的恢复与重建是一项十分复杂的系统工程,尤其需要生态学理论的指导。多数生态学理论已被应用于恢复生态学的研究与实践。结合实例,着重阐述了生态系统演替理论在生态恢复中的应用。恢复生态与全球变化间的相互作用研究越来越多的引起了人们的关注,但多数研究仍停滞在定性研究阶段。在广东的恢复生态学研究表明,广东省从1986年至1998年,植被覆盖从26％到51％,新造林绿化的植被每年可吸收、固定广东省年排放CO2量的一半。人类社会与自然环境的协调可持续发展,不仅要求实现生态环境的可持续,同时亦要求实现人类社会与经济的可持续发展。这就要求生态系统的恢复与重建必须同时实现生态、经济与社会效率的三重优化。中国科学院华南植物研究所生态中心在中国热带、南亚热带进行的退化生态系统的恢复与重建研究历时30余年,所产生的显著的经济和社会效益,在各个实验站点均已有所反映。     

An "enactive" approach to integrative and comparative biology: thoughts on the table

We discuss the concept of Enaction as originally proposed by Varela. We attempt to exemplify through two specific topics, sensory ecology and behavior, as well as physiological and behavioral ecology, on which the enactive approach is based. We argue that sensory physiology allows us to explore the biological and cognitive meaning of animal 'private' sensory channels, beyond the scope of our own sensory capacity. Furthermore, after analyzing the interplay between factors that may impose limits upon an animal's use of time and energy, we call for a program of research in integrative and comparative biology that simultaneously considers evolutionary ecology (including physiological and behavioral ecology) and neurobiology (including cognitive mechanisms as well structural design). We believe that this approach represents a shift in scientific attitude among biologists concerning the place of biological and ecological topics in studies of integrative and comparative biology and biological diversity and vice versa.     

Improved Bacteriophage Genome Data is Necessary for Integrating Viral and Bacterial Ecology

The recent rise in “omics”-enabled approaches has lead to improved understanding in many areas of microbial ecology. However, despite the importance that viruses play in a broad microbial ecology context, viral ecology remains largely not integrated into high-throughput microbial ecology studies. A fundamental hindrance to the integration of viral ecology into omics-enabled microbial ecology studies is the lack of suitable reference bacteriophage genomes in reference databases—currently, only 0.001 % of bacteriophage diversity is represented in genome sequence databases. This commentary serves to highlight this issue and to promote bacteriophage genome sequencing as a valuable scientific undertaking to both better understand bacteriophage diversity and move towards a more holistic view of microbial ecology.     

Primate dental ecology: How teeth respond to the environment

Teeth are central for the study of ecology, as teeth are at the direct interface between an organism and its environment. Recent years have witnessed a rapid growth in the use of teeth to understand a broad range of topics in living and fossil primate biology. This in part reflects new techniques for assessing ways in which teeth respond to, and interact with, an organism's environment. Long-term studies of wild primate populations that integrate dental analyses have also provided a new context for understanding primate interactions with their environments. These new techniques and long-term field studies have allowed the development of a new perspective-dental ecology. We define dental ecology as the broad study of how teeth respond to, or interact with, the environment. This includes identifying patterns of dental pathology and tooth use-wear, as they reflect feeding ecology, behavior, and habitat variation, including areas impacted by anthropogenic disturbance, and how dental development can reflect environmental change and/or stress. The dental ecology approach, built on collaboration between dental experts and ecologists, holds the potential to provide an important theoretical and practical framework for inferring ecology and behavior of fossil forms, for assessing environmental change in living populations, and for understanding ways in which habitat impacts primate growth and development. This symposium issue brings together experts on dental morphology, growth and development, tooth wear and health, primate ecology, and paleontology, to explore the broad application of dental ecology to questions of how living and fossil primates interact with their environments.